Terminal and method for offering termination-side services

ABSTRACT

A terminal and a method are described herein for offering termination-side services to a user. In one embodiment, the terminal (e.g., cellular terminal, enterprise or residential wireline device, mobile device) is configured to provide one or more termination-side services (e.g., color ring back tone, voice mail, call diversion, hold before answer) to the user. The terminal is further configured to enable the user to directly setup and manage the one or more termination-side services without interacting with the telecommunication network.

CLAIM OF PRIORITY

This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application Ser.No. 61/506,673 filed on Jul. 12, 2011. The contents of this document arehereby incorporated by reference herein.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to a terminal and a method for offeringtermination-side services to a user. In one embodiment, the terminal(e.g., cellular terminal, enterprise or residential wireline device,mobile device) is configured to provide one or more termination-sideservices (e.g., color ring back tone, voice mail, call diversion, holdbefore answer) to the user. The terminal is further configured to enablethe user to directly setup and manage the one or more termination-sideservices without interacting with the telecommunication network.

BACKGROUND

The following abbreviations are herewith defined, at least some of whichare referred to within the following description of the prior art andthe present invention.

-   -   API Application Programming Interface    -   CRBT Color (or Customized or Caller) Ring Back Tone    -   HLR Home Location Register    -   HSS Home Subscriber Server    -   HTTP HyperText Transport Protocol    -   HTTPS HTTP Secure    -   IMAP Internet Message Access Protocol    -   IMS IP Multimedia Subsystem    -   IN Intelligent Networking    -   IVR Interactive Voice Response    -   PRBT Personal(-ized) Ring Back Tone    -   RF Radio Frequency    -   SMS Short Message Service    -   VMS Voice (or Video) Mail System

Today's telecommunication networks—both wireline and wireless—offer avariety of different services known as termination-side services to auser (called party). For example, a user might subscribe for atermination-side service known as “color ring back tone” in which thetelecommunication network plays a custom ring back tone (often a songclip) to a calling party while the user's phone rings. The user (calledparty) may have a call forward busy/no answer service in which thetelecommunication network routes unanswered or undeliverable calls to avoice mail system. The telecommunication network may also provide anincoming call screening service which bars certain calls from reachingthe user (called party) such as anonymous calls or calls from a “blacklist” of specific telephone numbers.

While the implementations of these termination-side services may differacross technologies and service providers, generally thesetermination-side services are offered from within the telecommunicationnetwork and require coordination across multiple network elements. Forexample, a termination-side service running in a wireless network —or anIN trigger associated with the service—might be configured on the HLR orHSS and then downloaded to a call server. The call server is configuredto handle the call routing and interact with other network elements suchas Voice Mail Systems, CRBT/PRBT servers, SCPs, intelligent peripherals,and the like to provide the particular termination-side service.

The existing solutions for termination-side services can be complex todeploy, especially in a multi-vendor environment. Nonetheless, varioussolutions for termination-side services already exist and theiroperation is well understood in the telecommunications field. However,the termination-side services which have solutions located within thetelecommunication network are largely out of the reach of the end users.For instance, the termination-side services can be difficult toconfigure or control, by requiring the end user (subscriber) to dial into an automated voice response system to configure the service, adjustsettings, listen to recorded messages, etc. Some termination-sideservices offer web-based interfaces, but these can be just as cumbersomeand they may not be easily accessible from a mobile device.

Another problem with the existing solutions is that the termination-sideservices are disjointed. For instance, each termination-side service hasits own user interface and its own configuration options. So, the enduser (subscriber) must learn to use each service separately and cannotcoordinate their activities. For example, suppose the end user(subscriber) wants to configure a custom ring back tone and custom voicemail greeting for a given caller. Assuming the telecommunication networkallows this level of customization, the end user (subscriber) mustseparately configure each of these termination-side services. Orsuppose, the end user (subscriber) receives a harassing voice mailmessage and wants to block future calls from the calling party.Listening to the harassing voice mail message and setting up callbarring are done in different locations in the telecommunicationnetwork.

As a result of being network-based and service operator-controlled, thetermination-side services lack flexibility in terms of options andcustomization by the end user (subscriber). Furthermore, it isimpractical for a service provider to offer multiple voice mailsolutions from different vendors, for example, because of the costinvolved in purchasing, deploying, and maintaining multiple systems thatprovide the voice mail solutions. Likewise, it is cost-prohibitive for aservice operator to install new software upgrades or deploy new featuresto enhance the termination-side services they already offer to their endusers (subscribers). These situations ultimately limit the optionsavailable to the end users (subscribers). Accordingly, there has beenand is a need to address these problems and other problems to enhancehow termination-side services can be provided to an end user(subscriber). These needs and other needs are satisfied by the presentinvention.

SUMMARY

A terminal and a method that address the aforementioned problems byoffering termination-side services to a user are described in theindependent claims of the present application. Advantageous embodimentsof the terminal and method have been described in the dependent claimsof the present application.

In one aspect, the present invention provides a terminal used by a userand configured to interact with a telecommunication network. Theterminal comprises at least a network interface, a user interface, aprocessor, and a memory. The network interface (e.g., telephony API) isconfigured to interact with the telecommunication network. The userinterface (e.g., graphical user interface, screen, touch-pad, speaker,microphone) is configured so the user can interact with the terminal andvice versa. The processor is configured to execute processor-executableinstructions stored in a memory to implement a user agent. The useragent is configured to perform the following operations: (1) provide oneor more termination-side services to the user; and (2) enable, ifneeded, the user by utilizing the user interface to directly setup andmanage the one or more termination-side services without interactingwith the telecommunication network. An advantage of the presentinvention is that the terminal's user agent provides termination-sideservices such as personalized ring back and voice messaging that areintegrated with the terminal and directly managed by the user withouthaving to interact with the telecommunication network.

In another aspect, the present invention provides a method for offeringone or more termination-side services on a terminal used by a user andconfigured to interact with a telecommunication network. The methodimplemented by a user agent on the terminal comprising the steps of: (1)providing one or more termination-side services to the user; and (2)enabling, if needed, the user by utilizing a user interface on theterminal to directly setup and manage the one or more termination-sideservices without interacting with the telecommunication network. Anadvantage of the present invention is that the terminal's user agentprovides termination-side services such as personalized ring back andvoice messaging that are integrated with the terminal and directlymanaged by the user without having to interact with thetelecommunication network.

Additional aspects of the invention will be set forth, in part, in thedetailed description, figures and any claims which follow, and in partwill be derived from the detailed description, or can be learned bypractice of the invention. It is to be understood that both theforegoing general description and the following detailed description areexemplary and explanatory only and are not restrictive of the inventionas disclosed.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

A more complete understanding of the present invention may be obtainedby reference to the following detailed description when taken inconjunction with the accompanying drawings:

FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating the basic components of a terminalconfigured in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2A is a signal flow diagram illustrating an exemplary way that ahandset-based color ring back tone service can be provided to a user inaccordance with an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2B is a flowchart illustrating an exemplary method which isimplemented by the terminal's user agent to provide the handset-basedCRBT service to the user in accordance with an embodiment of the presentinvention;

FIG. 3A is a signal flow diagram illustrating an exemplary way that ahandset-based voice mail service can be provided to a user in accordancewith an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 3B is a flowchart illustrating an exemplary method which isimplemented by the terminal's user agent to provide the handset-basedvoice mail service to the user in accordance with an embodiment of thepresent invention;

FIG. 4A is a signal flow diagram illustrating an exemplary way that ahandset-based voice mail with network assist service can be provided toa user in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 4B is a flowchart illustrating an exemplary method which isimplemented by the terminal's user agent to provide the handset-basedvoice mail with network assist service to the user in accordance with anembodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 5A is a signal flow diagram illustrating an exemplary way that thehandset-based context-driven call diversion service can be provided to auser in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 5B is a flowchart illustrating an exemplary method which isimplemented by the terminal's user agent to provide the handset-basedcontext-driven call diversion service to the user in accordance with anembodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 6A is a signal flow diagram illustrating an exemplary way that thehandset-based hold before answer service can be provided to a user inaccordance with an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 6B is a flowchart illustrating an exemplary method which isimplemented by the terminal's user agent to provide the handset-basedhold before answer service to the user in accordance with an embodimentof the present invention; and

FIG. 7 is a flowchart illustrating an exemplary method which isimplemented by the terminal's user agent to provide a handset-based autoattendant (IVR) service to a user in accordance with an embodiment ofthe present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Referring to FIG. 1, there is a diagram illustrating the basiccomponents of a terminal 100 configured in accordance with an embodimentof the present invention. As shown, the terminal 100 is used by a user102 and is configured to interact with a telecommunication network 104.The telecommunication network 104 can be a wire line telecommunicationnetwork 104, a wireless telecommunication network 104, or a combinationthereof. The terminal 100 may be a cellular terminal 100 (e.g., a 2G/3Gmobile smartphone 100), an enterprise or residential wireline device 100(e.g. an IMS phone 100), or a mobile IMS terminal 100 (e.g. VoIP clienton a 3G/4G mobile device 100).

The terminal 100 includes at least a network interface 106, a userinterface 108, a processor 110, and a memory 112. The network interface106 (e.g., telephony API 106) is configured to interact with thetelecommunication network 104. The user interface 108 (e.g., graphicaluser interface, screen, touch-pad, speaker, microphone) is configured sothe user 102 (also referred to herein as called party 102 and subscriber102) can interact with the terminal 100 and vice versa. The processor110 is configured to interact with the memory 112 which storesprocessor-executable instructions and to execute the storedprocessor-executable instructions to implement a user agent 114 thatprovides one or more termination-side services 118 a, 118 b, 118 c, 118d, 118 e, 118 f . . . 118 n. The terminal 100 includes many other wellknown components but for clarity only the components which are needed toexplain and enable the present invention have been described in detailherein.

The user agent 114 is a unique combination of hardware-software thatperforms a method 116 which includes the following steps-operations: (1)provide one or more termination-side services 118 a, 118 b, 118 c, 118d, 118 e, 118 f . . . 118 n to the user 102 (step 120); and (2) enable,if needed, the user 102 by utilizing the user interface 108 to directlysetup and manage the one or more provided termination-side services 118a, 118 b, 118 c, 118 d, 118 e, 118 f . . . 118 n without interactingwith the telecommunication network 104 (step 122). As described ingreater detail below, the user agent 114 may provide and enable the user104 to directly setup and manage one or more of the following exemplarytermination-side services 118 a, 118 b, 118 c, 118 d, 118 c, 118 f . . .118 n:

-   -   I. Handset-based color ring back tone service 118 a (see FIGS.        2A-2B).    -   II. Handset-based voice mail service 118 b (see FIGS. 3A-3B).    -   III. Handset-based voice mail with network assist service 118 c        (see FIGS. 4A-4B).    -   IV. Handset-based context-driven call diversion service 118 d        (see FIGS. 5A-5B).    -   V. Handset-based hold before answer service 118 e (see FIGS.        6A-6B).    -   VI. Handset-based auto attendant service 118 f (see FIG. 7).

I. Handset-Based Color Ring Back Tone Service 118 a (See FIGS. 2A-2B)

One handset-resident termination-side service is Color Ring Back Tone(CRBT). Unlike the traditional CRBT service, which is provided by thetelecommunication network 104, this service generates customizable ringback tones from the end user terminal 100. The user 102 might select aparticular song, recorded message, or video clip to play to a callingparty 124 (originating party 124) while they wait for the user 102 toanswer the call. In this case, the terminal 100 itself plays theselected ring back tone without requiring any intervention by thetelecommunication network 104. The handset-based color ring back toneservice 118 a is accomplished by answering the call as soon as it comesin and proceeding to alert the user while playing the CRBT. An exemplaryscenario for providing the handset-based color ring back tone service118 a to the user 102 is described below with respect to FIGS. 2A-2B.

Referring to FIG. 2A, there is a signal flow diagram illustrating anexemplary way that the handset-based color ring back tone service 118 acan be provided to the user 102 in accordance with an embodiment of thepresent invention. In this example, the handset-based color ring backtone service 118 a can be provided to the user 102 in accordance withthe following steps:

-   -   1. The user 102 utilizes the user interface 108 to interact with        the user agent 114 to enable, setup, and manage the        handset-based CRBT service 118 a on the terminal 100. This        interaction involves selecting an audio and/or video sample to        play to incoming calling parties 124 (one shown). The user 102        might enable the handset-based CRBT service 118 a only for a        certain contact (calling party 124) or groups of contacts        (calling parties 124) or might assign a different audio/video        selection for each contact (calling party 124) or group of        contacts (calling parties 124).    -   2. At some time later, the network interface 106 receives a call        from a calling party 124.    -   3. The incoming call triggers the network interface 106 to        notify the user agent 114. This notification would typically        contain information (e.g., calling party's phone number) about        the calling party 124.    -   4. Upon receiving the notification, the user agent 114 instructs        the network interface 106 to answer the call. Unlike a typical        call, however, the call is not connected to the terminal's user        interface 108 (e.g., headset or speaker/microphone). Instead the        media paths are configured such that the user agent 114 controls        the incoming and outgoing audio (and video, if applicable).    -   5. The user agent 114 begins playing an audio or video selection        (or selections) to the calling party 124.    -   6. The user agent 114 while playing the audio/video selection to        the calling party 124 also interacts with the user interface 108        to alert the user 102 about the incoming call. This step        includes using any visual and/or audible and/or tactile methods        for getting the attention of the user 102.    -   7. Eventually the user 102 interacts with the user interface 108        to accept the call.    -   8. The user agent 114 ceases the audio/video play out to the        calling party 124 and reroutes the incoming/outgoing media        streams to the user 102 (e.g. via the handset microphone and        earpiece) so the user 102 can communicate with the calling party        124. If desired, the user agent 114 may remain in the media path        to provide an additional service such as call recording.    -   9. At some time later, one of the parties 102 or 124 chooses to        end the call. In this example, the user 102 decides to terminate        the call. This is indicated to the user agent 114, which in turn        disconnects the call between the user 102 and the calling party        124.    -   10. Call is terminated.

Referring to FIG. 2B, there is a flowchart illustrating an exemplarymethod 200 implemented by the terminal's user agent 114 to provide thehandset-based CRBT service 118 a to the user 102 in accordance with anembodiment of the present invention. At step 202, the terminal's useragent 114 provides the handset-based CRBT service 118 a to the user 102.At step 204, the terminal's user agent 114 enables the user 102 byutilizing the user interface 108 to directly setup and manage thehandset-based CRBT service 118 a without interacting with thetelecommunication network 104 (FIG. 2A's step 1). For instance, theterminal's user agent 114 enables the user 102 to directly setup andmanage the handset-based CRBT service 118 a by allowing the user 102 toselect content to be played to a calling party 124 if an incoming callis received from the calling party 124 (step 204 a). If desired, theuser 102 can select different content to be played if and when incomingcalls are received from different calling parties 124 (step 204 b).After the enabling step 204, the terminal's user agent 114 at step 206will at some point in time intercept the incoming call from the callingparty 124 (see FIG. 2A's step 3). At step 208, the terminal's user agent114 plays the selected content to the calling party 124 withoutrequiring any intervention by the telecommunication network (see FIG.2A's steps 4-5). At step 210, the terminal's user agent 114 alerts theuser 102 via the user interface 108 about the incoming call while theselected content is being played to the calling party 124 (see FIG. 2A'sstep 6). At step 212, the terminal's user agent 114 receives anaccept-call command from the user 102 via the user interface 108 (seeFIG. 2A's step 7). At step 214, the terminal's user agent 114 ceases theplay of the selected content to the calling party 124 (see FIG. 2A'sstep 8). At step 216, the terminal's user agent 114 establishes the callbetween the calling party 124 and the user 102 (see FIG. 2A's step 8).At step 218, the terminal's user agent 114 when one of the parties 102or 124 chooses to end the call will then disconnects the call betweenthe calling party 124 and the user 102 (see FIG. 2A's steps 9-10).

II. Handset-Based Voice Mail Service 118 b (See FIGS. 3A-3B)

Another handset-based service is voice mail recording with an audiblescreening option. This is similar to the existing voice mailfunctionality provided by wireline answering machines. The calling partyleaves a message, during which time a message is recorded directly onthe answering machine and also played through an external speaker. Atany time while the message is being left, the user may pick up the call.The difference between such a service provided by using an answeringmachine and the present invention is that the handset-based voice mailservice 118 b may be offered on the terminal 100 (e.g., mobile phone100) as opposed to a fixed answering machine. Additionally, thehandset-based voice mail service 118 b is implemented solely in theterminal 100 and does not require dedicated hardware. It should beappreciated that “voice mail” in the present invention could also referto video mail. Hence, when receiving a video call, the terminal 100might play an audio/visual voice mail greeting and then record a videomail message for the user 102. An exemplary scenario for providing thehandset-based voice mail service 118 b to the user 102 is describedbelow with respect to FIGS. 3A-3B.

Referring to FIG. 3A, there is a signal flow diagram illustrating anexemplary way that the handset-based voice mail service 118 b can beprovided to the user 102 in accordance with an embodiment of the presentinvention. In this example, the handset-based voice mail service 118 bcan be provided to the user 102 in accordance with the following steps:

-   -   1. The user 102 utilizes the user interface 108 to interact with        the user agent 114 to enable the handset-based voice mail        service 118 b, assuming the handset-based voice mail service 118        b is not enabled by default. The user 102 might also record a        default greeting on the terminal 100 to be played to an incoming        calling party 124 or select a prerecorded greeting from a list        to be played to the incoming calling party 124. The user 102        might also set other parameters such as the length of time the        terminal 100 should ring before the calling party 124 receives        the greeting or if desired an option to continue ringing while        the voice mail greeting is played to the calling party 124.    -   2. At some time later, the network interface 106 receives a call        from a calling party 124.    -   3. The incoming call triggers the network interface 106 to        notify the user agent 114. At this point, there may be other        services being utilized (not shown) before the call goes to        voice mail. This may include the user agent 114 answering the        call and interacting with the calling party 124 (step 3 a).    -   4. Assuming the call was not previously answered (either by the        end user 102 or the user agent 114), the user agent 114 now        answers the call. This prevents the telecommunication network        104 from directing the calling party 124 to the network-based        voice mail system, if one exists.    -   5. The user agent 114 plays a recorded greeting (audio or video)        or perhaps a text-to-speech greeting to the calling party 124.    -   6. The user agent 114 begins recording the incoming audio or        video message from the calling party 124. At the same time, the        user agent 114 allows the user 102 to hear the caller's message        as it is recorded. For video calls, the user 102 might also see        the calling party 124. The user agent 114 may play the caller's        message as it is being recorded through the phone's earpiece or        speaker or an external audio device (e.g. headset).    -   7. The user 102 may or may not choose to accept the call upon        hearing the caller's message.    -   8. Assuming the user 102 picks-up the call, the user agent 114        would then cease the recording of the voice message and connect        the audio stream (and video stream, if applicable) from the        calling party 124 to the user 102. At this point, the call would        be in the same state as any other answered call.    -   9. At some time later, one of the parties 102 or 124 chooses to        end the call. In this example, the user 102 decides to terminate        the call. This is indicated to the user agent 114, which in turn        disconnects the call between the user 102 and the calling party        124.    -   10. Call is terminated.

Referring to FIG. 3B, there is a flowchart illustrating an exemplarymethod 300 implemented by the terminal's user agent 114 to provide thehandset-based voice mail service 118 b to the user 102 in accordancewith an embodiment of the present invention. At step 302, the terminal'suser agent 114 provides the handset-based voice mail service 118 b tothe user 102. At step 304, the terminal's user agent 114 enables theuser 102 by utilizing the user interface 108 to directly setup andmanage the handset-based voice mail service 118 b without interactingwith the telecommunication network 104 (FIG. 3A's step 1). For instance,the terminal's user agent 114 enables the user 102 to directly setup andmanage the handset-based voice mail service 118 b by allowing the user102 to record a default greeting or select a pre-recorded greeting froma list to be played to a calling party 124 if an incoming call isreceived from the calling party 124 (step 304 a). After the enablingstep 304 and if the network interface 106 is able to interact with thetelecommunication network 104, the terminal's user agent 114 at step 306will at some point in time intercept an incoming call from the callingparty 124 (see FIG. 3A's step 3). At step 308, the terminal's user agent114 plays the greeting to the calling party 124 (see FIG. 3A's step 5).At step 310, the terminal's user agent 114 records a message from thecalling party 124 (see FIG. 3A's step 6). At step 312, the terminal'suser aunt 114 while recording the message also plays the message to theuser 102 and gives the user 102 an option to accept the incoming callfrom the calling party 112 (see FIG. 3A's step 6). At step 314, theterminal's user agent 114 in the event the user 102 accepts the incomingcall would cease the recording of the voice message and connect theaudio stream (and video stream, if applicable) from the calling party124 to the user 102 (see FIG. 3A's steps 7-8). At step 316, theterminal's user agent 114 when one of the parties 102 or 124 chooses toend the call will disconnect the call between the calling party 124 andthe user 102 (see FIG. 3A's steps 9-10).

III. Handset-Based Voice Mail with Network Assist Service 118 c (SeeFIGS. 4A-4B)

One possible drawback of using the terminal 102 to provide thehandset-based voice mail service 118 b is that the terminal 102 may notalways be accessible or connected to the telecommunication network 104to receive the incoming calls from calling parties 102. For example, theterminal 102 may be switched off or in “airplane mode” so as not to beavailable to the telecommunication network 104. Or, the terminal 100 mayalso be unavailable to the telecommunication network 104 because of alack of adequate RF coverage at the time when an incoming call is madeby the calling party 124. This drawback may be solved by providing thehandset-based voice mail with network assist service 118 c. In thissolution, the terminal's user agent 114 works with a network-based voicemail system 401 to provide uninterrupted voice mail service to the user102. The network-based VMS 401 handles calls that are not answered bythe terminal 100 and then forwards the record message to the terminal100 once it becomes available to the telecommunication network 104. Theterminal's user agent 114 enables the enhanced voice mail service 118 cby providing the necessary instructions along with the recorded greetingor selected greeting to the networked-based VMS 401. An advantage ofthis scenario is that the user 102 is able to configure the enhancedvoice mail service 118 c by interacting only with the terminal 100 andnot having to interact with the network-based VMS 401. Plus, any messagethat is deposited on the network-based VMS 401 is later retrieved by theterminal's user agent 114 so that the user 102 can access all of theirmessages in the same place regardless of whether the message is leftdirectly on the terminal 100 or if the message is left on thenetwork-based VMS 401. An exemplary scenario for providing thehandset-based voice mail with network assist service 118 c to the user102 is described below with respect to FIGS. 4A-4B.

Referring to FIG. 4A, there is a signal flow diagram illustrating anexemplary way that the handset-based voice mail with network assistservice 118 c can be provided to the user 102 in accordance with anembodiment of the present invention. In this example, the handset-basedvoice mail with network assist service 118 c can be provided to the user102 in accordance with the following steps:

-   -   1. The user 102 utilizes the user interface 108 to interact with        the user agent 114 to enable the handset-based voice mail with        network assist service 118 c. If the handset-based voice mail        with network assist service 118 c is not enabled by default. The        user 102 might also record a default greeting on the terminal        100 to be played to an incoming calling party 124 or select a        prerecorded greeting from a list to be played to the incoming        calling party 124. The user 102 might also set other parameters        such as the length of time the terminal 100 should ring before        the calling party 124 is played the greeting or if desired an        option to continue ringing while the voice mail greeting is        played to the calling party 124.    -   2. The user agent 114 communicates with the network-based VMS        401 to synchronize any relevant user settings and to upload (if        applicable) the newly-recorded greeting. As an example, this        communication may be performed over an IP network using HTTP or        HTTPS. Once this step is completed, the network-based VMS 401 is        able to receive calls and process them in a similar fashion to        the terminal 102 except for the capability of playing the        message to the user 102 while recording the message from the        calling party 124.    -   3. At some time later, a call is placed from the calling party        124 to the user 102.    -   4. In this example, the terminal 100 cannot be reached. This may        be due to the terminal 100 being located outside network        coverage, switched off, or in “airplane mode” (wireless        connection disabled).    -   5. The telecommunication network 104 redirects the incoming call        to the network-based VMS 401. Note: if the terminal 100 was        switched-on and reachable then the voice mail service would        proceed as per FIG. 3A's steps 3-10.    -   6. The network-based VMS 401 answers the call, plays the        appropriate voice or video greeting to the calling party 124,        and allows the calling party 124 to record a message. The        recorded message is stored on the network-based VMS 401.    -   7. Having left a message, the calling party 124 disconnects from        the network-based VMS 401.    -   8. Some time later, once the terminal 100 has re-established its        connection with the telecommunication network 104, the user        agent 114 communicates with the network-based VMS 401 to check        if any messages have been left. For instance, the user agent 114        can check and retrieve messages from the network-based VMS 401        utilizing protocols such as IMAP or Visual Voice Mail        (combination of IMAP and SMS).    -   9. Assuming there is at least one new message present on the        network-based VMS 401, the user agent 114 retrieves (downloads)        the message or messages and stores them locally on the terminal        100. Once the messages are downloaded, the user agent 114 may        optionally delete the message(s) from the network-based VMS 401.        Alternatively, the user agent 114 may leave the message(s) on        the network-based VMS 401 so they can serve as a backup until        the user 102 deletes the message(s) on the terminal 100.    -   10. The user agent 114 then informs the user 102 via the user        interface 108 that new message(s) are available.

Referring to FIG. 4B, there is a flowchart illustrating an exemplarymethod 400 implemented by the terminal's user agent 114 to provide thehandset-based voice mail with network assist service 118 c to the user102 in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. At step402, the terminal's user agent 114 provides the handset-based voice mailwith network assist service 118 c to the user 102. At step 404, theterminal's user agent 114 enables the user 102 by utilizing the userinterface 108 to directly setup and manage the handset-based voice mailwith network assist service 118 c without interacting with thetelecommunication network 104 (FIG. 4A's step 1). For instance, theterminal's user agent 114 enables the user 102 to directly setup andmanage the handset-based voice mail with network assist service 118 c byallowing the user 102 record a default greeting or select a pre-recordedgreeting from a list to be played to a calling party 124 if an incomingcall is received from the calling party 124 (see step 404 a). At step406, the terminal's user agent 114 interacts with the network-based VMS401 to synchronize user settings and if applicable upload the particulargreeting to be played to the calling party 124 in case the terminal'snetwork interface 106 is not able to receive the incoming call from thecalling party 124.

After the enabling step 404, the interacting step 406, and if theterminal's network interface 106 is able to interact with thetelecommunication network 104 (see box “A”), then the terminal's useragent 114 performs steps 408, 410, 412, 414, 416 and 418 as describednext. At step 408, the terminal's user agent 114 will at some point intime intercept an incoming call from the calling party 124 (see FIG.3A's step 3). At step 410, the terminal's user agent 114 plays thegreeting to the calling party 124 (see FIG. 3A's step 5). At step 412,the terminal's user agent 114 records a message from the calling party124 (see FIG. 3A's step 6). At step 414, the terminal's user agent 114while recording the message also plays the message to the user 102 andgives the user 102 an option to accept the incoming call from thecalling party 112 (see FIG. 3A's step 6). At step 416, the terminal'suser agent 114 in the event the user 102 accepts the incoming call wouldcease the recording of the voice message and connect the audio stream(and video stream, if applicable) from the calling party 124 to the user102 (see FIG. 3A's steps 7-8). At step 418, the terminal's user agent114 when one of the parties 102 or 124 chooses to end the call willdisconnect the call between the calling party 124 and the user 102 (seeFIG. 3A's steps 9-10).

After the enabling step 404, the interacting step 406, and if theterminal's network interface 106 is not able to interact with thetelecommunication network 104 (see box “B”), then the telecommunicationnetwork 104 redirects the incoming call from the calling party 124 tothe network-based VMS 401 which plays the greeting to the calling party124 and records the message from the calling party 124. Once, theterminal's network interface 106 is able to interact with thetelecommunication network 104 then the terminal's user agent 114performs steps 420 and 422 as described next. At step 420, theterminal's user agent 114 interacts with the network-based VMS 401 andretrieves the recorded message (if any) associated with the callingparty 124 (see FIG. 4A's step 8-9). The retrieved messages are stored onthe terminal 100. Once the messages are downloaded from thenetwork-based VMS 401, the terminal's user agent 114 may optionallydelete the message(s) from the network-based VMS 401. Alternatively, theterminal's user agent 114 may leave the message(s) on the network-basedVMS 401 so they can serve as a backup until the user 102 deletes themessage(s) on the terminal 100 At step 422, the terminal's user agent114 alerts the user about the retrieved recorded message (see FIG. 4A'sstep 10).

IV. Handset-Based Context-Driven Call Diversion Service 118 d (See FIGS.5A-5B)

Another handset-based service is call diversion or barring based on the“context” of the user 102 (called party 102). The “context” refers tothe user's status as determined by the user agent 114 withoutinteracting with the user 102. For example, the user 102 may previouslyindicate that they do not wish to receive calls while they are inmeetings or otherwise busy. The user agent 114 at the time of theincoming call can check the user's electronic calendar(s) to determineif the user 102 is attending a meeting or is otherwise busy. Theelectronic calendar(s) may be a calendar kept on the terminal 100 and/ora calendar which is accessible online (e.g., Internet) or via a networkconnection of some sort to the user agent 114. In this example, when theuser 102 is busy (as indicated on the electronic calendar), the callingparty 124 is sent by the user agent 114 directly to voice mail or playeda special message indicating that the user 102 (called party 102) isbusy. The message might even specify when the user 102 (called party102) will become free based on the information retrieved from theelectronic calendar. In other examples, the user agent 114 might rely onvarious techniques for determining the user's context (or status) suchas, for example, using the time of day, the terminal's current GPSlocation, the terminal's velocity, the ambient noise around the terminal102. In any case, the user agent 114 implements the same process whichis: (1) determine the user's status; (2) based on the status accept theincoming call normally or provide a special treatment. An exemplaryscenario for providing the handset-based context-driven call diversionservice 118 d to the user 102 is described below with respect to FIGS.5A-5B.

Referring to FIG. 5A, there is a signal flow diagram illustrating anexemplary way that the handset-based context-driven call diversionservice 118 d can be provided to the user 102 in accordance with anembodiment of the present invention. In this example, the handset-basedcontext-driven call diversion service 118 d can be provided to the user102 in accordance with the following steps:

-   -   1. The user 102 utilizes the user interface 108 to interact with        the user agent 114 to enable the handset-based context-driven        call diversion service 118 d. This may involve one or more steps        including: enabling the feature, selecting or inputting the        criteria for call diversion, applying the call diversion        criteria to specific contacts or groups of contacts, and setting        other parameters related to the feature's operation.    -   2. At some time later, the network interface 106 receives a call        from a calling party 124.    -   3. The incoming call triggers the network interface 106 to        notify the user agent 114. This notification would typically        contain information (e.g., calling party's phone number) about        the calling party 124.    -   4. The user agent 114 interacts with one or more services or        information providers 501 (e.g., the electronic calendar, GPS        unit) on the user device. The purpose of this step is to gather        data that will be used to determine if the incoming call should        be accepted or diverted based on the criteria established in        step 1.    -   5. Based on the call diversion criteria and the current        “context” as determined by the information collected in step 4,        the user agent 114 decides whether to accept or divert the        incoming call.    -   6. If the incoming call is to be diverted, the user agent 114        answers the call on behalf of user 102. The user agent 114 does        not alert (e.g. ringing the terminal 100) the user 102 about the        incoming call.    -   7. Optionally or based on user preference, the user agent 114        may present an alert to the user 102 informing him/her that an        incoming call from the calling party 124 has been diverted.    -   8. The user agent 114 plays a message to the calling party 124.        This message may be the normal voice mail greeting or a special        message related to call diversion that may indicate why the call        is not being accepted. The message could also be a video clip in        the case of a video call.    -   9. Optionally or based on user preference, the user agent 114        may receive a voice mail from the calling party 124.    -   10. Finally, the call is terminated.    -   11. If the incoming call was accepted by the logic applied in        step 5, then the user agent 114 executes the normal, or usual,        process for handling the incoming call. This process typically        includes where the user agent 114 uses some form or method to        alert the user 102 about the incoming call from the calling        party 124.

Referring to FIG. 5B, there is a flowchart illustrating an exemplarymethod 500 implemented by the terminal's user agent 114 to provide thehandset-based context-driven call diversion service 118 d to the user102 in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. At step502, the terminal's user agent 114 provides the handset-basedcontext-driven call diversion service 118 d to the user 102. At step504, the terminal's user agent 114 enables the user 102 by utilizing theuser interface 108 to directly setup and manage the handset-basedcontext-driven call diversion service 118 d without interacting with thetelecommunication network 104 (FIG. 5A's step 1). For instance, theterminal's user agent 114 enables the user 102 to directly setup andmanage the handset-based context-driven call diversion service 118 d byallowing the user 102 to indicate one or more situations (criteria)during which if an incoming call is received from a calling party 124then the incoming call is to be diverted from the user 102 (step 504 a).After the enabling step 504, the terminal's user agent 114 at step 506will at some point in time intercept an incoming call from the callingparty 124 (see FIG. 5A's step 3). At step 508, the terminal's user agent114 determines a status of the user by interfacing with at least one ofthe information providers 501 on the terminal 100 and possibly remoteinformation providers 503 which are not on terminal 100 (see FIG. 5A'sstep 4). At step 510, the terminal's user agent 114 compares the statusto the one or more situations (criteria) (see FIG. 5A's step 5). Ifthere is a match between the status and the one or more situations(criteria), then the terminal's user agent 114 at step 512 answers theincoming call and informs the calling party 124 that the user 102 is notcurrently answering calls (see FIG. 5A's step 8). If there is not amatch between the status and the one or more situations (criteria), thenthe terminal's user agent 114 at step 514 alerts the user 102 via theuser interface 108 about the incoming call from the calling party 124(see FIG. 5A's step 11).

V. Handset-Based Hold Before Answer Service 118 e (See FIGS. 6A-6B)

Another handset-based service is hold before answer where the user 102after being alerted about an incoming call selects an option to have theuser agent 114 tell the calling party 124 to please wait (e.g. becausethe user 102 is stuck in a meeting or another conversation). Thisresults in the calling party 124 hearing a special message followed byeither silence or “hold music” or a video clip for some period of time.When ready, the user 102 can “answer” the incoming call and speak withthe calling party 124. As with the handset-based CRBT service 118 a andthe handset-based voice/video mail services 118 b and 118 c, the useragent 114 answers the call on behalf of the user 102. The user agent 114plays one or more audio/video files to the calling party 124 while thecall remains on hold from the standpoint of the user 102. Once the user102 is ready to answer the call, then the user agent 114 connects thecall through to the user 102. An exemplary scenario for providing thehandset-based hold before answer service 118 e to the user 102 isdescribed below with respect to FIGS. 6A-6B.

Referring to FIG. 6A, there is a signal flow diagram illustrating anexemplary way that the handset-based hold before answer service 118 ecan be provided to the user 102 in accordance with an embodiment of thepresent invention. In this example, the handset-based hold before answerservice 118 e can be provided to the user 102 in accordance with thefollowing steps:

-   -   1. The network interface 106 receives a call from a calling        party 124.    -   2. The incoming call triggers the network interface 106 to        notify the user agent 114. This notification would typically        contain information (e.g., calling party's phone number) about        the calling party 124.    -   3. The user agent 114 alerts the user 102 about the incoming        call. This includes the usual visual and/or audible and/or        tactile methods for getting the user's attention.    -   4. The user 102 decides to accept the call but place it on hold        before communicating with the calling party 124.    -   5. The user agent 114 instructs the network interface 106 to        answer the call from the calling party 124. Unlike a typical        call, the call is not connected to the user interface 108 (e.g.,        headset or speaker/microphone). Instead the audio paths are        configured such that the user agent 114 controls the incoming        and outgoing audio.    -   6. The user agent 114 begins playing an audio (or video)        selection (or selections) to the calling party 124. The purpose        is to let the calling party 124 know that they have reached the        user 102 and that they should continue waiting. This may or may        not include an explicit message telling the calling party 124        that they have been placed on hold.    -   7. Eventually the user 102 answers the call.    -   8. The user agent 114 ceases the audio/video play out and        reroutes the incoming/outgoing media streams to the user 102        (e.g. via the handset microphone and earpiece).    -   9. At some time later, one of the parties 102 or 124 chooses to        end the call. In this example, the user 102 decides to terminate        the call. This is indicated to the user agent 114, which in turn        disconnects the call between the user 102 and the calling party        124.    -   10. Call is terminated.

Referring to FIG. 6B, there is a flowchart illustrating an exemplarymethod 600 implemented by the terminal's user agent 114 to provide thehandset-based hold before answer service 118 e to the user 102 inaccordance with an embodiment of the present invention. At step 602, theterminal's user agent 114 provides the handset-based hold before answerservice 118 e to the user 102 (note: the user 102 if desired does notnecessarily need to setup and manage the handset-based hold beforeanswer service 118 e). At step 604, the terminal's user agent 114intercepts an incoming call from a calling party 124 (see FIG. 6A's step2). At step 606, the terminal's user agent 114 alerts the user 102 viathe user interface 108 about the incoming call from the calling party124 (see FIG. 6A's step 3). At step 608, the terminal's user agent 114receives a reply from the user 102 indicating that the user 102 acceptsthe incoming call but wants to place the incoming call on hold beforethe user 102 communicates with the calling party 124 (see FIG. 6A's step4). At step 610, the terminal's user agent 114 places the incoming callon hold (see FIG. 6A's step 5). At step 612, the terminal's user agent114 while placing the incoming call on hold plays a message to thecalling party 124 indicating the user 102 plans to answer the incomingcall (see FIG. 6A's step 6). At step 614, the terminal's user agent 114upon the user 102 accepting the call functions to establish the callbetween the calling party 124 and the user 102 (see FIG. 6A's steps7-8). At step 616, the terminal's user agent 114 when one of the parties102 or 124 chooses to end the call will disconnect the call between thecalling party 124 and the user 102 (see FIG. 6A's steps 9-10).

VI. Handset-Based Auto Attendant Service 118 f (See FIG. 7)

Referring to FIG. 7, there is a flowchart illustrating an exemplarymethod 700 implemented by the terminal's user agent 114 to provide thehandset-based auto attendant (IVR) service 118 f to the user 102 inaccordance with an embodiment of the present invention. At step 702, theterminal's user agent 114 provides the handset-based auto attendant(IVR) service 118 f to the user 102 (note: the user 102 if desired doesnot necessarily need to setup and manage the handset-based autoattendant service 118 f). At step 704, the terminal's user agent 114intercepts an incoming call from the calling party 124. At step 706, theterminal's user agent 114 presents the calling party 124 with a list ofoptions. This might include, for example, an option to alert the user102 that this is an urgent call (e.g. by ringing or buzzing even whenthe terminal 100 is in silent mode). This might include an option tocreate a voice-to-text message or to select a canned message from a listof choices to be delivered to the user 102. Since the handset-based autoattendant (IVR) service 118 f runs directly on the terminal 100, whichcould be a smartphone, there are numerous other possibilities includinggiving the option to the calling party 124 to request the location orstatus (in a meeting, in a moving vehicle, in a noisy environment, etc.)of the user 102—assuming the user 102 has given permission to the useragent 114 to present such options to the calling party 124. A keydifference between implementing the handset-based auto attendant (IVR)service 118 f on the terminal 100 versus using a network-based IVRservice is the ease with which the user agent 114 can interact with thecalling party 124 and the user 102 simultaneously.

From the foregoing, one skilled in the art will readily appreciate thatthe present invention involves placing a user agent 114 on the terminal100 so that the user agent 114 can interact with calling parties 124 onbehalf of the user 102. The user agent 114 can provide services thatmight otherwise reside solely within the telecommunication network 104.At a high level, the present invention is accomplished by providing ahardware-software user agent 114 on the terminal 100 where the useragent 114 intercepts all incoming calls and if needed interacts with thecalling party 124 while simultaneously alerting the user 102. The useragent 114 effectively shifts control from the telecommunication network104 to the terminal 100 and allows the offering of one or moretermination-side services 118 a, 118 b, 118 c, 118 d, 118 e, 118 f . . .118 n such as personalized ring back and voice messaging that areintegrated with the terminal 100 and directly managed by the user 102(subscriber 102).

Basically, the present invention focuses on the accessibility oftermination-side services (e.g. color ringback, voice mail, callscreening) from the perspective of the user 102 (subscriber 102). Oneadvantage of the present invention is that it does not necessitatechanges in the telecommunication network 104. Instead, the presentinvention enables various services to be offered directly on theterminal 100 with no special interaction with the telecommunicationnetwork 104. However, as discussed above there are circumstances wheresome of the provided termination-side services (e.g., the handset-basedvoice mail with network assist service 118 c, the handset-basedcontext-driven call diversion service 118 d) may benefit from having theterminal 100 interact with a telecommunications network-based component.

It should be appreciated that various termination-side services 118 a,118 b, 118 c, 118 d, 118 e, 118 f . . . 118 n can be provided directlyon the end user's terminal 100, even if the terminal 100 supports onlytraditional circuit-based service (i.e. not IMS). It's worth noting thatsome IMS networks may in fact restrict early media interactions prior toanswer. Thus, by having the user agent 114 answer the call directly, itis possible to bypass these restrictions (with the understanding thatthe user 102 may be billed for additional minutes of use). Otheradvantages associated with the present invention include:

-   -   Direct control of termination services—e.g., no need to dial        into a system or web page to configure the service.    -   Consolidated user interface 108 so the user 102 can setup and        manage multiple features associated with the termination-side        services 118 a, 118 b, 118 c, 118 d, 118 e, 118 f . . . 118 n.    -   Ability to customize ring duration for different callers or        situations. Normally the telecommunication network 104        establishes a fixed ring duration that cannot be modified by the        end user 102.    -   Ability for user 102 to interact with calling party 124 before        answer (e.g. by playing custom messages) as described earlier.    -   Ability to provide advanced IVR functions directly on the user's        terminal 100 as described earlier.    -   Feedback to the calling party 124 that his/her call has reached        the desired destination (e.g. in the case of handset-based CRBT        or IVR).    -   The user agent 114 enables media to played to the calling party        124 while the terminal 100 rings where the media can be sourced        directly from the terminal 100. For example, a custom ring back        tone might be an audio track stored in the user's music library.    -   The user 102 is able to answer an incoming call at any time,        including while the calling party 124 hears a greeting,        interacts with a service on the terminal 100, or leaves a        message. All the while, the user agent 114 continues to alert        the user 102 of the incoming call.

Although multiple embodiments of the present invention have beenillustrated in the accompanying Drawings and described in the foregoingDetailed Description, it should be understood that the invention is notlimited to the disclosed embodiments, but instead is also capable ofnumerous rearrangements, modifications and substitutions withoutdeparting from the present invention that as has been set forth anddefined within the following claims.

1. A terminal used by a user and configured to interact with atelecommunication network, the terminal comprising: a network interfacewhich is configured to interact with the telecommunication network; auser interface; a processor; and a memory that storesprocessor-executable instructions where the processor interfaces withthe memory and executes the processor-executable instructions toimplement a user agent that performs the following operations: provideone or more termination-side services to the user; and enable, ifneeded, the user by utilizing the user interface to directly setup andmanage the one or more termination-side services without interactingwith the telecommunication network.
 2. The terminal of claim 1, whereinthe one or more termination-side services comprises a handset-basedcolor ring back tone service and the user agent performs the followingoperations: enable the user by utilizing the user interface to directlysetup and manage the handset-based color ring back tone service byselecting content to be played to a calling party if an incoming call isreceived from the calling party; after the enable operation, interceptthe incoming call from the calling party; play the selected content tothe calling party without requiring any intervention by thetelecommunication network; alert the user via the user interface aboutthe incoming call while the selected content is being played to thecalling party; receive an accept call from the user via the userinterface; cease the play of the selected content to the calling party;and establish the call between the calling party and the user.
 3. Theterminal of claim 2, wherein the user agent further enables the user toselect different content to be played if and when incoming calls arereceived from different calling parties.
 4. The terminal of claim 1,wherein the one or more termination-side services comprises ahandset-based voice mail service and the user agent performs thefollowing operations: enable the user by utilizing the user interface todirectly setup and manage the handset-based voice mail service byrecording a default greeting or selecting a pre-recorded greeting from alist to be played to a calling party if an incoming call is receivedfrom the calling party; after the enable operation and if the networkinterface is able to interact with the telecommunication network, thenthe user agent performs the following operations: intercept the incomingcall from the calling party; play the greeting to the calling party;record a message from the calling party; and while recording themessage, play the message to the user and give the user an option toaccept the incoming call from the calling party.
 5. The terminal ofclaim 4, wherein the handset-based voice mail service includes not onlyvoice mail but also video mail where the greeting is either voice orvideo and the recorded message is either voice or video.
 6. The terminalof claim 1, wherein the one or more termination-side services comprisesa handset-based voice mail with network assist service and the useragent performs the following operations: enable the user by utilizingthe user interface to directly setup and manage the handset-based voicemail service by recording a default greeting or selecting a pre-recordedgreeting from a list to be played to a calling party if an incoming callis received from the calling party; interact with a network-based voicemail service in the telecommunication network to synchronize usersettings and if applicable upload the greeting to be played to thecalling party in case the network interface is not able to receive theincoming call from the calling party; after the enable operation, theinteract operation, and if the network interface is able to interactwith the telecommunication network, then the user agent performs thefollowing operations: intercept the incoming call from the callingparty; play the greeting to the calling party; record a message from thecalling party; and while recording the message, play the message to theuser and give the user an option to accept the incoming call from thecalling party; after the enable operation, the interact operation, andif the network interface is not able to interact with thetelecommunication network, then the telecommunication network redirectsthe incoming call from the calling party to the network-based voice mailservice which plays the greeting to the calling party and records themessage from the calling party; once the network interface is able tointeract with the telecommunication network then the user agent performsfollowing operations: interact with the network-based voice mail serviceand retrieve, if any, the recorded message associated with the callingparty; and alert the user about the retrieved recorded message.
 7. Theterminal of claim 6, wherein the handset-based voice mail serviceincludes not only voice mail but also video mail where the greeting iseither voice or video and the recorded message is either voice or video.8. The terminal of claim 1, wherein the one or more termination-sideservices comprises a handset-based context-driven call diversion serviceand the user agent performs the following operations: enable the user byutilizing the user interface to directly setup and manage thehandset-based context-driven call diversion service by indicating one ormore situations during which if an incoming call is received from acalling party then the incoming call is to be diverted from the user;after the enable operation, intercept the incoming call from the callingparty; determine a status of the user by interfacing with one or moreinformation providers on the terminal; compare the status to the one ormore situations; if there is a match between the status and the one ormore situations, then answer the incoming call and inform the callingparty that the user is not currently answering calls; and if there isnot a match between the status and the one or more situations, thenalert the user via the user interface about the incoming call.
 9. Theterminal of claim 8, wherein the user agent further interfaces with oneor more information providers not associated with the terminal todetermine the status of the user.
 10. The terminal of claim 1, whereinthe one or more termination-side services comprises a handset-based holdbefore answer service and the user agent does not perform the enableoperation but does perform following operations: intercept an incomingcall from a calling party; alert the user via the user interface aboutthe incoming call; receive a reply from the user indicating that theuser accepts the incoming call but wants to place the incoming call onhold before the user communicates with the calling party; place theincoming call on hold; and while placing the incoming call on hold, playa message to the calling party indicating the user plans to answer theincoming call.
 11. The terminal of claim 1, wherein the one or moretermination-side services comprises a handset-based auto attendantservice and the user agent does not perform the enable operation butdoes perform the following operations: intercept the incoming call fromthe calling party; and provide a list of options to the calling party.12. A method for offering one or more termination-side services on aterminal used by a user and configured to interact with atelecommunication network, the method implemented by a user agent on theterminal comprising the steps of: providing one or more termination-sideservices to the user; and enabling, if needed, the user by utilizing auser interface on the terminal to directly setup and manage the one ormore termination-side services without interacting with thetelecommunication network.
 13. The method of claim 12, wherein the oneor more termination-side services comprises a handset-based color ringback tone service and the user agent performs the following steps:enabling the user by utilizing the user interface to directly setup andmanage the handset-based color ring back tone service by selectingcontent to be played to a calling party if an incoming call is receivedfrom the calling party; after the enabling step, intercepting theincoming call from the calling party; playing the selected content tothe calling party without requiring any intervention by thetelecommunication network; alerting the user via the user interfaceabout the incoming call while the selected content is being played tothe calling party; receiving an accept call from the user via the userinterface; ceasing the play of the selected content to the callingparty; and establishing the call between the calling party and the user.14. The method of claim 13, wherein the enabling step further comprisesenabling the user to select different content to be played if and whenincoming calls are received from different calling parties.
 15. Themethod of claim 12, wherein the one or more termination-side servicescomprises a handset-based voice mail service and the user agent performsthe following steps: enabling the user by utilizing the user interfaceto directly setup and manage the handset-based voice mail service byrecording a default greeting or selecting a pre-recorded greeting from alist to be played to a calling party if an incoming call is receivedfrom the calling party; after the enabling step and if the networkinterface is able to interact with the telecommunication network, thenthe user agent performs following steps: intercepting the incoming callfrom the calling party; playing the greeting to the calling party;recording a message from the calling party; and while recording themessage, playing the message to the user and give the user an option toaccept the incoming call from the calling party.
 16. The method of claim15, wherein the handset-based voice mail service includes not only voicemail but also video mail where the greeting is either voice or video andthe recorded message is either voice or video.
 17. The method of claim11, wherein the one or more termination-side services comprises ahandset-based voice mail with network assist service and the user agentperforms the following operations: enabling the user by utilizing theuser interface to directly setup and manage the handset-based voice mailservice by recording a default greeting or selecting a pre-recordedgreeting from a list to be played to a calling party if an incoming callis received from the calling party; interacting with a network-basedvoice mail service in the telecommunication network to synchronize usersettings and if applicable upload the greeting to be played to thecalling party in case the network interface is not able to receive theincoming call from the calling party; after the enabling step, theinteracting step, and if the network interface is able to interact withthe telecommunication network, then the user agent performs thefollowing steps: intercepting the incoming call from the calling party;playing the greeting to the calling party; recording a message from thecalling party; and while recording the message, playing the message tothe user and giving the user an option to accept the incoming call fromthe calling party; after the enabling step, the interacting step, and ifthe network interface is not able to interact with the telecommunicationnetwork, then the telecommunication network redirects the incoming callfrom the calling party to the network-based voice mail service whichplays the greeting to the calling party and records the message from thecalling party; once the network interface is able to interact with thetelecommunication network then the user agent performs following steps:interacting with the network-based voice mail service and retrieving, ifany, the recorded message associated with the calling party; andalerting the user about the retrieved recorded message.
 18. The methodof claim 17, wherein the handset-based voice mail service includes notonly voice mail but also video mail where the greeting is either voiceor video and the recorded message is either voice or video.
 19. Themethod of claim 12, wherein the one or more termination-side servicescomprises a handset-based context-driven call diversion service and theuser agent performs the following steps: enabling the user by utilizingthe user interface to directly setup and manage the handset-basedcontext-drive call diversion service by indicating one or moresituations during which if an incoming call is received from a callingparty then the incoming call is to be diverted from the user; after theenabling step, intercepting the incoming call from the calling party;determining a status of the user by interfacing with one or moreinformation providers on the terminal; comparing the status to the oneor more situations; if there is a match between the status and the oneor more situations, then answering the incoming call and inform thecalling party that the user is not currently answering calls; and ifthere is not a match between the status and the one or more situations,then alerting the user via the user interface about the incoming call.20. The method of claim 19, wherein the user agent further interfaceswith one or more information providers not associated with the terminalto determine the status of the user.
 21. The method of claim 12, whereinthe one or more termination-side services comprises a handset-based holdbefore answer service and the user agent does not perform the enablingstep but does perform the following steps: intercepting an incoming callfrom a calling party; alerting the user via the user interface about theincoming call; receiving a reply from the user indicating that the useraccepts the incoming call but wants to place the incoming call on holdbefore the user communicates with the calling party; placing theincoming call on hold; and while placing the incoming call on hold,playing a message to the calling party indicating the user plans toanswer the incoming call.
 22. The method of claim 12, wherein the one ormore termination-side services comprises a handset-based auto attendantservice and the user agent does not perform the enabling step but doesperform the following steps: intercepting the incoming call from thecalling party; and providing a list of options to the calling party.